What does it say about a product when a state-run collection operation tells municipalities that it will no longer help them collect unpaid tickets that were created by that product?
That is the situation in Illinois, where the state Comptroller has announced that her office will no longer withhold state income tax refunds or other state payments from individuals with fines for tickets from red-light cameras.
“My office is taking decisive action in response to unethical arrangements that have come to light regarding the red-light camera industry,” Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza said. “As a matter of public policy, this system is clearly broken. I am exercising the moral authority to prevent state resources being used to assist a shady process that victimizes taxpayers.”
Those municipalities still may work with private debt collection agencies to go after individuals who are ticketed for running red lights. The comptroller did point out that the amount of the ticket — $100 originally — can double or triple if not paid and placed with a private collection agency, which add additional fees to cover their expenses to collect on the debt.
Published reports have identified that the most frequent victims of red-light camera tickets are minority and low-income drivers, who might not be able to afford the fine. In many cases, the tickets are not assessed to individuals who drive through intersections when the stoplight is red, but are assessed to individuals who make right turns on red lights without coming to a complete stop, when such turns are allowed.
The comptroller also warned municipalities using red-light cameras to review their contracts with the companies operating the devices, following news reports of corruption.
